On February 25th, we held Japan Night at Loodusmaja. In the presentation at the beginning of this event, we introduced ourselves and explained Japanese food, the tea ceremony, calligraphy, origami, and the four seasons with views of Japan. Over 130 adults (the number of children is not included) visited and it was interesting to see so many people are interested in Japanese culture.
After the presentation, we made a booth for the experiment with each cultures; Calligraphy, Origami, Putting Yukata and Hakama, Japanese food, Tea ceremony.
Yukata
Many people felt fresh that way of wearing Yukata which is the Japanese unique culture of wearing clothes with only strings and obi. We can see that from people who take videos not only from pictures. It was also impressive to see that a lot of people asked if people wore Yukata by themselves.
Hakama
Because many people told us that they learned material arts (武道budō) such as kendo and aikido, they were surprised and pleased about the way wearing Hakama is similar to Kendo. We found and felt proud that Japanese culture is spread to Estonia. Also, there were people who compared Estonian traditional costumes. They found the common point that it is tightly tied with a belt (obi) like a hakama, and the difference is that the tie supports the stomach and waist of pregnant women, which is work clothes for Estonia and sports clothes for Japan.
Food
We prepared Warabi-mochi and miso soup, rice balls, and some snacks. Warabi-mochi was the most popular food in the booth.
Because we were running out of rice balls, we cooked rice balls in front of people. Many people looked curious about the way we cook and asked many questions. Some people told us “I can wait forever for onigiri because I love it! ” It was impressive that adults and children alike told me with a smile that it was delicious, and the questions about the types of mochi, rice balls, and snacks.
Tea Ceremony
Calligraphy
At the calligraphy corner, we converted Estonian words and names they wanted to write into Japanese, and they actually wrote them with ink and brush. Although it was difficult to find the right Japanese word for their names, it was an experience to think about. Words like "love" and "tiger" were popular. We felt the depth of calligraphy as an art form that allows us to enjoy the beauty of words as well as the skillful writing of characters. Even though we use different languages in our daily lives, We think we were able to feel the connection between our hearts through calligraphy. It was fulfilling to have so many people participate.
Origami
At the Origami Corner, we folded various kinds of origami together in response to requests. We felt the interest of the participants in origami itself. Origami was more well known than we had expected. We were very happy when one girl wrote "Thank you" on a heart origami and gave it to us as a gift. We felt again that the culture of origami, which we have been familiar with, is a wonderful culture that expresses our feelings for others.
In addition, there was a time to communicate with people who participated in this event. Everything was happy for us to see the people who tried to speak in Japanese, asking many questions positively about us, Japan and more. We enjoyed the conversation and realized new perspectives that would not be noticed in Japan. We felt the interest of the visitors in Japanese culture, and at the same time, we ourselves were impressed by the beauty of Japanese culture. We also felt a strong emotional connection with the Estonian people, and it was a very fulfilling day. We are very grateful to the many people who participated.